


The Other One

by TheBrothersRowe



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Family, Funerals, I've been writing this since 9pm, Im only on episode 4 of season 2 bear with me, It is 1:41am, Main Character Death, Multi, Raw angst, Season 3 theories, all i know is bob is dead, no happy ending, really really sad shits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 15:03:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18449000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBrothersRowe/pseuds/TheBrothersRowe
Summary: Sometime's when thing are tense, you never notice them until it's too late.





	The Other One

“Oh shit, it’s right behind us!” Steve screamed, as the group ran through the hospital walls. “Don’t look back! Don’t fucking look back!” Dustin yelled, looking back just as he said those words. Max elbowed him hard, not batting a single eye at this.

 

“Those stairs lead down to the front, come on!” Nancy cried out in relief. The exit, holy shit! They were so close! Just a little farther and they’d be-

 

Shrieks of terror left the group as the beast jumped in front of them, it’s horrible tendril mess left for them all to see. “Move it!” Lukas yelled, bolting ahead. Steve grunted as he adjusted his grip on Eleven, running as fast as his legs would go.

 

The creature was gaining on them quickly, and they were running out of room to run. After some frantic looking, they saw it. The doors were askew slightly, letting the gang see the elevator peeking out through the two floors. It wasn’t that big of a hole, but the faint trail of light let them realize it led perfectly to the first floor. This was their way out!

 

“There, it can’t fit in there!” Will pointed towards the elevator, getting ushered forward by his big brother. “Then move your ass!” The pure panic that laced the older boy’s voice was prominent, they didn’t have time to waste.

 

All of them rushed over to the partially opened elevator doors, the two oldest boys pulling it apart as far as they could. Jonathan, being the twig he was, was no help. “Shit!” Steve swore, “We can’t get it apart any farther!”.

 

“Then make room for the rest of us!” Nancy exclaimed, pushing forward. Steve gaped at her for a moment, before pushing her up. Grunts left the girl as she made it through the small hole, letting out a sigh of relief, “I’m in, start putting the others in-”. She was cut off by a screech down the hallway, making them all look up startled.

 

“Hurry, HURRY!” Jonathan and Steve worked together, lowering the kids down as Nancy grabbed them securely. “Come on!” Nancy pleaded, helping best she could. The moment they were down, the kids bolted through the elevator doors, running out of the hospital. In a surprising flash of lights, a truck sped forward, pulling up right in front of the hospital.

 

Joyce and Hopper rushed out of the car, looking inside in horror, “Where is it?!”.

 

Nancy helped her brother down, letting out a gasp of relief as she hugged him tightly, in which he returned. The Wheeler siblings remained in embrace until Steve started coming down, nearly kicking them.

 

“Christ Harrington, you’re heavy!” Jonathan grunted out, starting to lower him. Steve landed in the elevator, looking at Nancy relieved. Both smiled, when suddenly the elevator shook, the lights flickering.

 

“Jonathan!” Will cried out. The oldest Byer’s sibling stood up, seeing only darkness at first. He stood in from of his younger protectively, remembering what he had promised, watching the growls in the black abyss with growing fear..

 

_ Nothing will ever, ever, hurt you again, Will. I promise that with my life. _

 

‘Friend’s don’t lie.’ even now, Eleven’s signature line stood. Well, brother’s were friends, best friends. And they should never, ever lie.

 

In a flash, the lights were on once more, revealing the disgusting fleshy beast. As the lights flickered, he noticed the elevator doors shake.  _ Shit. _

 

Jonathan firmly grabbed his little brother’s arms, running over to door. “Get out guys, it’s looking ready to drop!” He shouted, using what little body strength he had to keep open the elevator doors.

 

Nancy let out a startled gasp as the elevator shook, quickly running out with her brother and Steve. “Mike!” Dustin yelled seeing his friend. The boy hurried over to them, looking back to the hospital anxiously. “Mike, where are my boy’s?!” Joyce wasted no time, look more erratic than she had in the past two years somehow. All he did was point inside, and she felt her heart drop into her stomach.

 

“Come on buddy, there you go!” Jonathan leaned forward, stretching himself as far as he could to lower his younger brother. The two of them let out a horrified gasp as the elevator shook again, making Jonathan look back to see the beast getting closer. His heartbeat quickened, and when he turned back to the elevator, he saw how it inched down from the power surges.

 

He wasn’t going to fit, and Will knew that. “J-Jonathan…” Will’s eyes welled up, on the verge of tears as he stared up at his brother for what could be the last time. A lump grew in Jonathan’s throat, his grip on his brother wavering, but never letting go.

 

_ How was he just supposed to say goodbye to his little brother? His best fucking friend? The person that got him through living hell. _

 

“W-Will, it’s gonna be a bit of a farther jump, okay? You gotta focus on landing just right, so you don’t hurt yourself, okay?” Jonathan struggled to keep his calm, trying not to break down in front of the one he was meant to be strong for, “On three.”. Will shook his head, whimpering, “No.”.

 

_ Damnit, he really was Will the Wise...wasn’t he? _

 

Jonathan’s lip quivered, eventually working itself into a sad smile, “Three.”. His hands slipped from his brother’s, and Will fell with a horrified cry.

 

“WILL?!” Joyce rushed inside, startled as she watched her youngest child fall onto the elevator floor, which was now leveled, dread instantly hitting her. Hurrying to her son’s side, she had to pull him back as he began to thrash and scream. “We need to get him, we have to help him!” Joyce’s world just stopped at that moment, slowly looking up to the top of the elevator.

 

“ _ Jonathan _ …?”

 

The moment Will dropped, so did the elevator. And with Will gone, the tears fell. Jonathan’s shoulders shook as he cried, resting his forehead gently against the metal doors of the elevator. He had never been an emotional person, or a very social one. So it was to be expected that he didn’t like people to see him in such a vulnerable state. “I love you…” Was all he could croak out, and it was all that needed to be said. He was a simple small town teenager that loved photography and his family.

 

_ A small town teenager that fought monsters…. _

 

Rough growls brought him back to reality, making him look over to see the beast nearing. It was miraculous everyone else had managed to escape the beast in that time period...and honestly… he felt there was no better way to go out.

 

Defending his family to the very end.

 

“Alright ugly, you’re going to find out you messed with the wrong family.” It didn’t sound quite as badass when he said it compared to his mother or Hopper, but it was his moment in an odd way. Jonathan stood, closing his eyes slowly as the beast lunged forward.

 

Sheer horror ran through Joyce, clinging to her son as blood ran down the small cracks of the elevator doors. Her voice was trapped in her throat, the tears stuck in the corner of her eyes.

 

“Joyce!” Hopper’s familiar voice echoed through the room, yet she did not look over, her eyes glued onto the blood trailing down the metal walls around her.

 

“Joy-” Hopper went silent seeing the blood, a silent prayer leaving him. Without another word, the officer rushed up the stairs, wasting no time. He prayed that Jonathan somehow took up fighting lessons and gave the fucking monster a nasty one in the mouth, but the farther up the stairs...the less he thought that.

 

At the top of the stairs, the noises grew louder. It sounded the tearing of fabric, and the noise you make when you tear meat off of the bone. Bile threatened to leave his throat, still Hopper pursed. The strong smell of copper caught his attention, and he walked around the corner, his eyes widened.

 

“No…” Hopper breathed out, seeing the monster at the end of the hallway, near the elevators. Crimson stained the walls and floor all around it, along with the still figure on the floor. “No, no. God fucking damnit.” Hopper spoke a little too loudly. A swear left him, seeing the beat turn around. Despite his heart dropping, the man kept a stoic face.

 

That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt though...because it did… it fucking hurt. 

 

After Sara, he didn’t know if he’d ever have that connection with a child. Yet Joyce came barreling into his life, followed by her two kids. While Jonathan wasn’t the most social person, he was a good kid. Had his rough spots, but considering the piece of shit dad that ‘raised’ him, Jonathan came out pretty decent all things considered.

 

Hopper lifted his gun up, firing the gun at the monster as it charged. Took nearly his entire magazine, but he couldn’t have cared less. Stepping over the monster’s body, Hopper walked to the end of the hallway, his boots stepping into the pools of red. Even with the monster and the body of a teenage boy, it was too much goddamn blood.

 

“Had to play hero...didn’t you?” Hopper asked, walking up to the still body. It was something no one shoulder see, especially someone so close to him. But it was better him than Joyce, Will, or the kids.

 

His body was for the most part still in tact, but it reminded him of those stupid art classes where you’d cut the paper up a bunch of times. It was still one piece, but it looked like any movement would just make it crumble. The spines on the beast’s body tore through with ease, tearing open skin and muscle to leave deep ugly scars underneath ripped fabric. A repulsive gash going down from his hip to his left thigh, several smaller ones along his left shoulder, a nasty cut along his forehead...shit, there was too much damage.

 

A heavy sigh left the man, and he took off his blue jacket, laying it over Jonathan. It was too much. Too much of Jonathan cut open, torn...he couldn’t let them see.

 

“Come on buddy, let’s get you home.” Hopper let out a grunt as he hoisted the boy’s body up in a single lift, starting to make his way back down the hall.

 

All the kids stood around the truck anxiously, staring at the hospital doors. “Where are they?” Nancy whispered, biting at her nails nervously.  _ Where was Jonathan..? _

 

Joyce stood outside the elevator, still holding a trembling Will. Footsteps echoed through the hall, making the both look up. For a moment she saw the familiar black material of her son’s favorite jacket, and for a moment...just a single moment she had hoped he was fine. 

 

_ But it’s always the good people that die in Hawkins. _

 

Joyce’s mouth dropped open, staring stunned as Hopper came down the stairs, Jonathan’s body in his arms. Even with Hopper’s jacket over him, she recognized it as her baby boy. Her oldest boy, her baby Jonathan. An anguished cry left Joyce as fell to the floor, clinging to her son as she wept. 

 

Why?!  **WHY?!** Why did the world insist on taking so much from her?!

 

First Lonnie left her, given it was never a good relationship. Them those monsters took Bob half a year ago, and now….now her son...her Jonathan…

 

Hysterical cries caught the groups attention, making them walk towards the hospital doors. Startled gasp left them, seeing Hopper walk down the hall, carrying a still figure in his arms. Despite the cold expression on his face, they could all see the tears threatening to leave his eyes.

 

Everyone was stunned by this, not knowing how to properly react. Was there even a proper reaction? If there was, it was lost quickly.

 

Nancy’s chest rose and fell quickly, and in a matter of seconds she was a crying mess. Steve stood completely still, his eyes wide as saucers as he stared at the body in Hopper’s arms as the man passed. Mike shook his head, struggling to hold back the tears as he whimpered. “Holy shit…” Dustin whispered. Max and Lukas were too still scold him, only able to watch as Hopper laid the body in the back of his truck.

 

“Get in your cars or bikes...and get home.” Hopper’s voice wavered ever so slightly, yet he did not turn away from the trunk bed. The others were rooted in place, making him snap, “I said  **GET HOME** !”. They all broke off immediately, running to whatever vehicle they had, and running. Hopper slowly lifted his head up, his eyes falling onto the beat up green car Jonathan had cherished for years. Shaking his head, the man headed back inside to get Joyce and Will/

 

_ It was time to leave that place. _

 

\--------------------------

 

The days after were hard, they always were. It was hard for them when they thought Will was dead, and it was going to be even harder that they all knew it was official.

 

Jonathan Byers was dead.

 

It had been over a week, and today was the funeral. It hit Joyce like a ton of bricks, and she found herself in the same goddamn dress she wore to Will’s ‘funeral’. They didn’t have much money to spend, what with her being the sole money maker now… God, she remembered the hurt look on his face when she told him to quit.

 

_ “I just wanted to help around the house mom.” Jonathan spoke, leaning against counter, hanging his head low. He could never really look people in the eyes, it just...one of his quirks. _

 

_ Joyce pinched the bridge of her nose, “I don’t want you working late anymore, no, I don’t want you working anymore at all, Jonathan! You’re in high school, you should worry about that. Plus we all know what happened your last shift-” the words left her before she could stop them. The hurt look on his face engraved in her mind forever. _

 

Joyce opened the door to his room, taking a soft breath. Swallowing back the tears, she made her way into his room. His room was always the neater of the two, Jonathan never wanted to be a bother… he...

 

The tears finally released, and Joyce bursted into a full fit of tears as she collapsed onto his bed, crying into the cold sheets of Jonathan’s bed. 

 

She had spent the past few nights in here, looking around. Somehow, she found out something new about her son with every place she looked. And it absolutely killed her when she realized how little she actually knew about Jonathan. It destroyed her, tore her apart from the inside out.

 

Over the past two years, Joyce solely focused on Will. Not sole-no...solely. She focused on her youngest son so much, she hardly noticed how far Jonathan was getting from her. How much a stranger he was. When Will disappeared, even when he returned, Joyce revolved her life around the youngest Byers, hell, everyone did.

 

Tears streamed down her face, soft hiccups leaving her. The mourning mother rolled on her side, taking the black jacket from the bed, and pulling it into her embrace.

 

Hopper managed to pull some strings, letting her get Jonathan’s favorite jacket back. He even had it sewn back together and cleaned of blood somehow. It was by no means stylish, and it was a bit outdated, but he adored it. It was one of the few things Joyce was happy to spend a few extra dollars on, other than his original camera of course.

 

“I’m so sorry, baby… I’m so sorry…” Joyce cried, clinging to the jacket, curling up into a ball on the cold empty bed where she cried alone for hours.

 

_ “I’m so sorry, Jonathan…” _

 

A knock on the door snapped her out of it, making her wake up. She hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep. “Joyce, Joyce...it’s time. Will’s ready, I’ll drive you both over.” Hopper’s voice was heard through the door. Joyce slowly pushed herself up from the bed, letting out a shaky breath. “Co-coming.” Staring sadly at jacket.

 

The idea of letting it go destroyed her, but she had to. She needed to be there for Will. Joyce smoothed down her dress with her hands, and finally left the room. Her heart cracked more seeing Will sitting silently in the kitchen, drawing away. Hopper watched over him, not even saying a word as she walked out.

 

As she got closer, she noticed the picture Will drew, her heart aching. The brown messy hair, black jacket, blue shirt, and camera...

 

A moment passed before either of them spoke, “Are you ready to go?”. She nodded slowly, putting a small hand on Will’s shoulder. The young boy slowly looked up, standing up. “Let’s go baby…” Joyce softly spoke, holding her sons hand as they walked out.

 

It was raining when they got there, that was the sad part. It was only sad, because Joyce remembered Jonathan always loved the rain...maybe it rained today for him.

 

The pastor was talking, yet Joyce barely heard anything he said. All she could do was stare at the casket. It had been opened earlier, and even with the makeup she couldn’t handle it. Jonathan was gone, and the make up making him look fine and healthy was… she just didn’t know how to describe it.

 

Her focus wandered, eventually falling onto the other’s around her. It was a small service, Jonathan never had many friends. Felt like he was finally making an effort, then...it was all cut short.

 

Steve, Nancy, the boy’s family, some of his old teachers, and Hopper were the only ones there. Nancy clung to Steve, softly crying into his chest, the boy trying his best not to cry Not even that bastard Lonnie showed up. She wasn’t upset or disappointed. It didn’t surprise her honestly, that fucker ran out on them a long time ago. He didn’t care that Will ‘died’, and he sure as Hell didn’t care about Jonathan. It took so much of her to bite back her anger and not speed off to throttle that bastard.

 

A hand was placed on her shoulder, making her look back in shock, to see Hopper standing behind her, a rose in hand. “It’s time, Joyce.”.

 

All she could muster was a soft noise barely resembling an okay as she walked forward, letting Will in front of her. The young boy trembled, tears running down his face again as he dropped the rose on the casket. “Goodbye Jonathan...you were the best big brother someone could ever ask for…”

 

_ You were the best friend someone could ever want Jonathan Byers. All you antisocial charm and all. _


End file.
